Girl Next Door
by bkleanne
Summary: Natalie struggles with her feelings for her best friend and next door neighbor, Daniel Jewel. Daniel is chasing after the most popular girl in school, but is clueless to Natalie's feelings. Can they work things out or will they fall apart? R
1. Chapter 1

**Girl Next Door**

Small town homecoming queen  
She's the star in this scene  
There's no way to deny she's lovely  
Perfect skin, perfect hair  
Perfumed hearts everywhere  
Tell myself that inside she's ugly  
Maybe I'm just jealous  
I can't help but hate her  
Secretly I wonder if my boyfriend wants to date her

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band  
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands  
She gets the top bunk I'm sleeping on the floor  
She's Miss America and I'm just the girl next door

Senior class president  
She must be heaven sent  
She was never the last one standing  
A backseat debutaunt  
Everything that you want  
Never to harsh or too demanding  
Maybe I'll admit it  
I'm a little bitter  
Everybody loves her but I just wanna hit her

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band  
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands  
She gets the top bunk I'm sleeping on the floor  
She's Miss America and I'm just the girl next door  
Oh and I'm just the girl next door

I don't know why I'm feeling sorry for myself  
I spend all my time wishing that I was someone else

She is the prom queen I'm in the marching band  
She is a cheerleader I'm sitting in the stands  
I get a little bit, she gets a little more  
She's Miss America and... she's Miss America  
I'm just the girl next door...

**Ok...This is a really good song, and I was listening to it when I came up with this idea for this story. It's probably been done before, if it has, I'm sorry, I'm not trying to steal your idea. So here goes.**

She's pretty, gorgeous actually. The perfect body, hair, eyes, etc. She's Student Council President, Class President, Valedictorian, every guy's dream girl. She's a cheerleader, Pageant winner, the perfect little angel. Yeah, I think we all know who I'm talking about. Lizzy Halenger, or as we lower-class un-thinkables call her Lizard Halogen, most of the time just Lizard though.

It all started in the third grade, on the playground. I had one of the new Barbie dolls, you know the one who's hair changed color in the sun? One of those. My dad had just come back from the Marines and had bought it for me. It was the first birthday I had ever spent with him and so this gift meant something really special to me.

Lizzy wanted to play with my doll in the dirt of the playground. I didn't want her to touch it. Actually, I wouldn't let anyone touch it. I was pretty possessive of that doll, it coming from my dad and all. Well, of course, this made her mad.

Lizzy held power over every kid in school back then, she was a first class bully, and the teachers' pet. So she spread rumors around about me, ugly things, well, they were ugly back then. Still, she spread them, all because I wouldn't let her play with my doll. We had been the best of friends, and now we were the worst of enemies. All through Elementary school she did all in her power to make everyone hate me, to get me into trouble. It worked too. During the first two weeks of my fifth grade year, I was sent to the office nine times over something I had no clue about. Obviously, without even knowing it, I had glued her Math book shut, put toothpaste in her hair, bit her, and called her names. I didn't even see her during the day, in fact I took round-about ways to avoid her.

Junior High was worse. That was when the whole, "Natalie's a whore" thing got started (Natalie is me by the way). She began telling people that I was no longer a virgin and all sorts of crap. It was humiliating, and I'm not really sure how I managed to make it through those two horror filled years of my life.

Then came High School. I was sure that my freshman year was going to be the worst yet. I was surprised though, no, she didn't stop, but, suddenly I had someone there for me. Sadie Black. Sadie had come to my rescue the first day of school. She was new and looked like one of those shy girls who were poor but didn't complain because they were all religious and knew that they should count their blessings because they were alive. Boy was I wrong.

I had been standing at my locker, putting my things in when Lizard showed up and proceeded in my direction. I didn't have my Lizard Radar on and so I didn't see her coming.

"Look! Ratalie's wearing black! Are you gonna go cry somewhere emo kid?" Lizard taunted and her Robots laughed almost mechanically, like it was programmed in their brains to laugh at every disgusting sound that came out of Lizard's mouth. Oh yeah, about the whole Ratalie thing, she heard someone call her Lizard and guessed correctly that it had been me that had started the nickname and so she had made one up for me too. I felt honored, I know it took her a whole four days to think of changing the "n" to an "r".

Anyway, back to the story. Before I could retort back with a comment about Lizard and the Robots, Sadie ran smack into Lizard, causing her to fall back into the Robots, who fell like bowling pins. I couldn't help it, I laughed, no, I didn't laugh I guffawed, which is louder than laughing. I just couldn't stop, tears ran from my eyes and I slipped to the floor in laughter.

I looked up to see Sadie send me a wicked smile. I threw a grateful one back and she turned back to Lizard.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. All I saw was a shallow pool of tenacity." Lizard stared up at Sadie from the floor, I can tell you now that whole last sentence went right over her head. In case you didn't get it, tenacity is pigheadedness, full of yourself.

One of the Robots whispered into Lizard's ear.

"I know that you idiot!" Lizard snapped back, then she glared at Sadie, "You're the new girl." she sneered, " If I were you, I would watch what I do from now on, because I'm watching you." Sadie crouched beside Lizard and looked down at her.

"Thank you so much. I'm glad to know I'm so important to you." She said it in a sincere voice and I almost believed her, till I saw the black fingernail polish pouring out onto Lizard pretty pink shirt, from Sadie's open purse. I stood up and brushed myself off, and the shriek of horror told me Lizard had noticed the new addition to her shirt.

"Oh No!" Sadie exclaimed, "Here let me help you with that I'm sooo sorry." I looked up in time to see Sadie rip a sheet of notebook paper out of her spiral and proceed to smear the polish all over Lizard's shirt and then pretend to get a spot off of her face, concluding in black fingernail polish ending up smeared on Lizard's face. I just couldn't quit laughing and smiling.

I slammed my locker shut, Sadie linked arms with me, and we left Lizard and the Robots lying on the floor, fuming.

Ah. I still daydream about that day whenever I feel down. My freshmen year isn't the year I want to concentrate on. I want to concentrate on the year that Sadie left me. Her dad and her uncle switched jobs, which meant she was moving and her cousin was moving into her house. I had seen pictures of her cousin, but they were from several years ago, so I had no idea what to expect. Sadie and I said a long, sad goodbye and then the house beside mine was empty.

A week later, a Friday, is the day I want to start my story with. I take you now to a sunny Friday, after school. The birds are singing, the squirrels are playing in the trees and my siblings and I were riding quietly in the back of my parents car. Okay so no we weren't. My one brother and I were in my beat up truck, the music blaring, the windows rolled down so the Spring breeze could play in our hair. We were quiet though.

I turned onto our street and was going over the hill when I had to slam on my worn brakes. There was a huge, and when I say huge I mean gigantic, moving truck in the middle of the road. Todd, my brother, leaned further out of the passenger side window, his eyes wide, he was only ten.

"Whoa! Can I watch 'em Nat? Huh? Please?" He turned to me begging, giving me the adorable puppy dog eyes that I couldn't say no to. I sighed.

"Alright, but stay out of the way and be back in the house before Mom gets back." He whooped, grabbed his book bag, and practically jumped out of the truck, sending a shower of paint flecks down to the pavement as he slammed the door. I smiled and drove past once the truck was out of the way.

I flopped down onto my bed and pulled out my cellphone and dialed Sadie's number, she would want to know her cousin had arrived.

"Yo, you've reached the C.E.O. of Sadie Incorporated. Leave a message and I'll ignore your problems later. If you are my precious N-to the-a-to the-talie, you may scream at me for not calling you yesterday and then forgive me when I say that I had theater practice and I really really really love you! Or you could just leave me a message like everyone else and I'll call you back later. So, remember kids, never run drunk or drive with scissors." I chuckled...only Sadie. After the beep I left her a message.

"Yo, this is the C.E.O. of Nat & Co. and I'm here to tell you that your cousin has arrived, or at least his monstrously huge moving truck has, my brother is over there watching them right now. Lizard magically tripped over thin air while walking to Algebra this morning, I don't know how it happened. I miss you and forgive you for not calling me yesterday, but you better call me back later today or sometime tomorrow or I will be angry for a whole five minutes this time. Well, I hear my brother calling my name, and so I will speak across the wires to you later. So, remember kids, the monsters under your bed don't want your socks, they want your blood." As soon as I shut the phone, Todd burst into my room.

"Natty, you have got to see this! They're vampires!" Todd was bouncing around on the balls of his feet.

"Todd, vampires aren't real." I said rolling my eyes. He shook his head vigorously.

"Yes they are, Natty. You have to come see them!" He tugged on my arm, so I got up.

"Okay, I'll make some chocolate pudding and we can go give it to them. Okay?" Todd nodded and followed me into the kitchen.

"Can I help?"

"Sure, go find me a big wooden spoon and a bowl that they can borrow."

It didn't take but a couple of minutes to make the pudding and then we were on our way, Todd talking excitedly the whole way about how pale our new neighbors were.

"Todd! Quit! That's rude, they're related to Sadie, so you are going to behave your best while we are over here, understand?" He rolled his eyes but nodded and shut up.

I couldn't help but see that Todd was right though, they were pale, pale and beautiful. There was a mother, a father, and a son. Just as Sadie had said. They were almost exactly identical, but then again they were as different as a cat, a fish, and a bird. The father looked very business-y, a gray tailored suit, black, shiny shoes, a black tie, neat, short, gray hair. The mother was petite, delicate looking, but fierce all the same. She had large, soft, dark brown curls that flowed down to the middle of her back. Just looking at her in her pretty green spring dress mad me self-conscious about my shoulder-length, straight, black hair, green eyes, and t-shirt and torn jeans. The son had vanished into the moving truck before I had gotten a good look at him, but with parents like that he had to have gotten a few good genes.

Todd ran up to them and the woman ruffled his black hair. You could tell that Todd and I were brother and sister, we had the same see-through, white skin, straight, black hair and green eyes.

I smiled as I approached my new neighbors, and they smiled back, the perfect family.

"Hello, I'm Natalie Lanvin, It's so nice to meet you. I was good friends with Sadie Black, your niece?" Todd took the bowl of pudding from me and handed it to the woman.

"Thank you, and it's lovely meeting you too. Yes, Sadie did mention a friend of hers would be living next to us. I'm Lily Jewel, this is my husband Mark, and we have a son, Daniel, he's over there, in the truck." I turned to look where she was pointing, scolding myself inwardly for being so eager to see this boy.

"Adorable isn't he?" Mrs. Jewel asked. I merely nodded. Adorable didn't even cover it, he was so painfully perfect I knew I didn't stand a chance. Lizard would be all over him faster than I could say 'Hi'. He waved from the truck and I waved weakly back, embarrassed, I'm sure my eyes were as big as dinner plates as I took in his shaggy black hair, captivating blue eyes, well built body. I noticed, barely, he wore converse, torn blue jeans, a black-studded belt, and a black ACDC shirt. I could stare at him forever, but I heard the familiar purr of my mother's car and so I gathered Todd, said my goodbyes and nearly tripped over my normally graceful feet, when Daniel called bye.

And so ends the first day I ever saw him. Sadie didn't call that night so I took a shower and went to bed. Anxious for the next day, maybe I would get to see him, maybe he would get Sadie's old room so I could see his window from mine. Little did I know that I was being watched.

**the song is by Saving Jane. You should go listen to it.**


	2. Chapter 2

Girl Next Door

Daniel's POV:

Ever have one of those moments where you wake up and don't recognize your own room? I had one of those moments a second ago. I woke up and stared blankly at my ceiling for a moment, then sat up and freaked. My ceiling isn't white! It's black! Where are my posters? My CD s? It wasn't until I threw off my covers and jumped out of bed with a bump that I realized I was in my new room, and that it was 11:00 in the morning. Moving had been hard on me, I was a bit disoriented. New sights, new smells, new people, new everything. Speaking of people, I remember that girl, Natalie my mom said her name was. My mother also said that she and Sadie had been the best of friends.

Sadie, I hadn't seen her for several years, five to be exact. I wonder what she would say to me becoming friends with her friend. Sadie and I are as different as black and white, her being the white. 'She would probably be angry', I thought, 'At me, not her friend.' Sadie doesn't particularly hold well with my family, no one does actually. We're...well, we're different.

I walked over to my window and opened the creamy-colored curtains. I would have to do some major redecorating to get rid of the Sadie in my room. MY room, not hers. I felt a little bad. It was like I was taking over her life a bit. I mean, I took her room, my dad took her dad's job, I'm going to her school now. Oh yes, and I'm going to be friends with her friend. No, MY friend.

Speak of the Devil and he will appear, well she anyway. Natalie walked past a window in her house, the window was directly across from mine, not very far away. I could make out a Paramore poster on the opposite wall and skulls on her curtains.

'Awesome', I thought, 'Natalie and I should get along fine.' Natalie walked to her window this time and opened it, leaning out and calling to her brother climbing one of the trees that separated her yard from mine. What was his name again? Tom? Todd? Todd, that was it.

"Todd! Please stay out of their yard! Sadie doesn't live there anymore, you don't know them." Natalie looked quite sad when she spoke the last sentence. She must have been pretty attached to the annoyance, Sadie I mean, not Todd, he was a nice kid.

"Todd! Did you hear me?" Natalie groaned and rolled her eyes, then she noticed me watching her and froze. She was perfectly still for a whole minute before she started apologizing for waking me up, and her brother, the brat, was so annoying at times...I just listened. She wasn't hard to listen to like some people. Normally I tune people out, but her voice flowed easily around me, and I didn't even realize I was staring till she called my name.

"Daniel?" I straightened at the sound of my name and looked away quickly, but not before I caught a small smile on her face.

"Yeah?" I pretended to watch her brother. She didn't answer. "Um, you didn't wake me up, it's fine." I glanced back at her and she averted her eyes quickly and nodded, then she disappeared into her room and closed her curtains. Todd ran into their house, yelling her name.

A knock on my door stole my attention and I closed my window and went to answer it.

"Yes?" I asked my father standing outside my door.

"Nice people aren't they?" He smiled. How did he always know what I was doing?

"Um, yeah, sure...dad." I turned back to my room and he followed me inside, sitting in my desk chair.

"Sadie left you a message on the answering machine." He had his lips pursed, like he was trying not to smile, "She said for you to stay away from the girl, the boy you could have, unless it hurt the girl. She said she'd personally hunt you down if you even so much as touched her." I knew there had been more in that message from the way my father's smile grew and grew. "She was very hostile sounding, she even threw in a few choice words for you, what ever did you do to Sadie, Daniel?" He knew very well what had happened. He thought this was all amusing, as did I. Sadie couldn't do a thing to me, even if she really wanted to. My father left and I changed into a black t-shirt and a pair of ripped blue jeans. I searched for my converse all over my room then remembered that they were downstairs, so I padded down the stairs sock-footed.

"Daniel? You're up early." My mother walked past me into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep anymore, so I decided to get up. I think I'm gonna go for a run or something." She nodded absently and I put on my shoes and left the house. The sky was clear and blue, the grass was dry by now and the neighborhood was alive with people all over the place.

'Great,' I thought, 'I wanted somewhere quiet to run' I glanced around, ' Maybe there's a path in the woods or something.'

"Lose something?" I turned and saw Natalie coming toward me, Todd in tow. She smiled, and I courteously smiled back. She blushed, typical girl, nothing special, but the burn in the back of my throat said something different. I looked away for a moment, trying to think straight.

"Is there a path through the woods?" I asked, still not looking at her.

"Yeah, it starts behind Sa-, I mean, your house and ends at the airport." Her voice which had started out eager and friendly, turned to a sad mumble by the end of the sentence. This was going to be tough. If she and Sadie were that close, I'm not sure I can take her place like I wanted to. I can't get that close to this girl. How did Sadie manage it? Oh, right, she's only half. It's completely my fault that she's even half. I laughed to myself.

"Something funny?" I turned my attention back to Natalie, not breathing. She had her head cocked to the side, looking at me like I was mentally unstable.

"It's just that what you said reminded me of something my dad said this morning." I lied, and she believed it.

"Why are you so pale? Are you a vampire?" My gaze shot to Todd, his black hair was messed up like he had just woken up. His eyes were bright green, just like Natalie's.

"TODD! Uggghhhh! Go, back to the house! NOW!" Natalie glared at Todd's retreating figure until it disappeared into their garage, then she turned back to me. I still hadn't recovered fully from the shock of Todd's question. He didn't know did he? Would he tell Natalie if he knew?

"I'm so sorry, he's been watching lots of horror films lately. I don't know how he can watch that stuff," She shivered involuntarily, "I'm very easily frightened." She smiled apologetically. I couldn't help but smile back.

"So, about that path in the woods, you mind showing me where it is?"

The path reminded me of the forest in Lord of the Rings, the one with the talking trees. It was all green and over grown, but there was a definite path. The path went straight for a while and then it twisted into the unknown, where there were no prying eyes. Excellent.

"Um...well, this is it." Natalie turned to go and then turned back quickly, "I guess I should warn you, there are wolves and all sorts of creepy stuff back in those woods." She smiled a small smile and looked warily at the twisted trees. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her inside those woods, but I shrugged the feeling off as she turned and ran back to her house. I caught one last whiff of her mouthwatering scent before I was encased by the cool shadows of the trees.

She had been right though, these woods were a bit creepy. And that's saying something seeing that I'm something straight from one of those horror films her brother watches.

I could feel the eyes on me, smell the putrid scent of werewolf mingled with the sour smells of fear and hate. Three smells that would never touch Natalie while I was around. Especially the first. Stupid wolves.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry it took so long. I really like this chapter, it's kind of short, but it's my favorite so far. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.**

Girl Next Door

Natalie's POV

I sunk down on the ground at the foot of one of the trees between our houses. He had just disappeared into the woods, out of eyesight. It had been a long time since anyone had gone close to those woods after what had happened.

_**Flashback:**_

_I woke up to a tap on my window. Figuring it was Sadie I trudged over to the window and threw open my curtains. I stumbled back and screamed, there, clinging to my windowsill was a bearlike creature. It had silver fur and resembled a wolf, but it was too big to be a wolf, it was the size of a full grown bear. I continued to scream and crawl backward toward my bed and the creature began to smile, it was a wicked spine-chilling smile. My mom came crashing through my door, my brother on her heels. She took one look at the situation, raised my father's shotgun, aimed, and shot. The creature yelped and fell back, I had seen the bullet enter the creatures eye, which was now just a bloody mess. We thought it was over when we heard another scream._

_"Mom! Sadie!" I screamed, pointing across the lawn to the creature reaching through Sadie's window. Mom shot again and the creature barked in pain and let go, tumbling to the ground and then retreating. We heard gun shots all over the neighborhood and, looking out of my window, we could see the creatures all over. There were at least thirty of them, they were climbing up houses, shredding front doors, chasing people, crashing through car windows. It was horrible, it was like I was living in a horror movie._

_"Oh cool!" Todd's eyes were as big as dinner plates as he took in what was happening._

_"Both of you stay in the house, watch this window because its cracked, neither of you will let anyone into this house. Understand?" I nodded meekly and Todd dreamily. In a few seconds I could see my mother on our lawn. Step, shoot, step, shoot. There was one behind her, she didn't see it. I screamed bloody murder, even Todd screamed. She noticed just in time. The creature jumped but only clawed her left arm. The creature went down as Sadie's dad shot from their driveway, he helped mom up and she nodded and they split up. I can still remember now, she looked like a female version of John Wane, walking determinedly across the yard, one arm hanging limp, the other controlling the gun. Step, shoot, Step, shoot. She still has that horrid scar on her arm. Every now and then her muscles will freeze up and she can't use her left arm for a day or so._

_**End flashback:**_

I shuddered at the memory The city had done nothing but put up a warning sign at the edge of the woods. The sign had been claimed a long time ago by the twisted, wicked trees. All of a sudden I realized what I had done. I had just sent my new neighbor into the woods with those wolf things!

I jumped to my feet and sped to the edge of the woods, he couldn't have gotten far. I panicked when I didn't see him, but I couldn't make myself go after him onto the path. How could I have been so stupid? Curse words flowed through my mind at blinding speed. When I closed my eyes I saw him being torn to pieces by the wolves. I opened my eyes and ,not breathing, I took one step into the woods. 

Nothing happened.

I took another step, and feeling as if I was walking to my death, I took the path one step at a time, waiting for the wolves to jump out and eat me. I reached the bend in the path and turned back to look at the neighborhood through the narrow entrance, but there at the entrance was one of the wolf creatures, sniffing at the ground. Its back was to me, but I knew it knew I was here.

It took a minute to get my breath back, and then I was on my way, staring at my bare feet as I walked, wondering what I had gotten myself into. A chill swept over me and I shivered, hugging myself for warmth. I came across another turn in the path and I couldn't help but turn back to see the wolf from before sitting at the last turn, watching me. I stifled a shriek and darted around the corner into a type of clearing, it was a spot where the path had been widened greatly to create a circle spot in the woods, there were logs set along the edges of the circle and a fire pit in the middle. It was like a meeting place for a cult or something. I couldn't help but laugh. I had stumbled upon the wolves meeting place, just like in the movies. Helpless girl stumbles into the wicked creatures meeting place, right into the middle of them, and the hero comes and saves her. Except for I don't see a hero.

I walked to the middle of the circle, expecting any minute for a circle of wolves to come and surround me, capturing me. But nothing happened so I continued down the path that continued on the other side of the circle. As soon as I stepped out of the circle, I had the urge to look back, I did. I saw the wolf sitting at the far edge of the circle where I had just come from, it looked to its left and then its right. I did the same, there were eyes, eyes everywhere. Watching me. Where was Daniel? Had they gotten him? How would I face his parents if I ever got out of this? No, Nat, when you got out of this, not if. Stupid boy, no stupid Natalie, if his dumb eyes weren't so easy to get lost in this never would have happened. I didn't even realize what I was saying! But back to the point. Where was he? Had he gotten through and made it out the other end? Was he on his way back?

I turned and ran. Tears burned at my eyes, but I refused to cry. I thought of my mom, how she had been brave enough to protect us when our neighborhood was attacked, I thought of Todd and how much he would enjoy this, I couldn't help but smile, even though it was a bit bitter. I thought of Daniel's parents, how would they take the news that their new neighbor had unwittingly sent their only son to his death? A sob escaped my lips, and out of the corner of my eyes I could see the huge wolves running along side me, stalking me. _Run _it was all I could think, so I did, I ran down the path, tears streaming, thinking over and over _run, run, run_. At least till I ran into someone.

I smacked into something hard and I yelped, expecting it to be some wolf leader or something. I began to fall from exhaustion, but strong arms caught me. Human arms. I was saved.

I looked up into the face of my savior and froze, it was Daniel, but there was something very wrong about him. It could have been any number of things, like the way his eyes were no longer blue, but scarlet, the fierce look on his face, the FANGS, the BLOOD running from the corners of his mouth. I stood, frozen, like a deer in headlights, my arms limp on his. He was completely supporting me. Which scared me even more. I was depending on a vampire right now, a murderer. I was depending on a murderer to get me away from a pack of murderers. I didn't know which I'd rather have. And I couldn't help but wonder whether his parents knew. This was not even close to my idea of a hero.

Daniel scooped me up and began walking back towards the circle spot. I was too scared to be scared. I couldn't stop staring at his face, at his swirling scarlet eyes, the fangs, and of course the blood, that had now made its way down to his snow white neck.

What had I gotten myself into?


End file.
